St. Petersburg, Florida - A Pinellas County school bus driver is back home recovering after a student on his bus beat him up.75-year-old Stanley Cardonick says the 13 year old student from Meadowlawn Middle School has been trouble since school began.Cardonick has written him up twice, once the student was suspended for threatening the bus driver.St. Petersburg Police arrested the teen and charged him with aggravated battery.The teen reportedly punched Cardonick as he walked off the bus.The punch sent Cardonick down the school bus steps. He received 11 stitches around his left eye and 3 stitches inside his upper lip, broke his nose in two places, bruised his face and parts of his body.Stanley Cardonick, Pinellas School Bus Driver:"Police say it was a couple of blows, I say it was one. He hit me here left eye), broke my nose, pushed my teeth into my lips out I went."Cardonick says the Meadowlawn student had spent the morning taunting him. Earlier a blocked road delayed the bus, and a policeman pulled Cardonick over for speeding.The bus arrived to school nearly an hour late.School district officials say after punching the bus driver the 13 year old headed off to class.He was quickly arrested thanks to some witnesses, blood on his shirt and a little bragging from him. It is not known why the camera on the bus was not working. Cardonick:"Most of the kids are good, it's a handful that cause all the trouble."Cardonick will be out of work for several months. He says it's too soon to say if he will ever return.
Isabel Mascarenas, Tampa Bay's 10
Update: Boy's neighbor blames bus driver A 19-year-old neighbor who wouldn't identify himself blames the driver saying he routinely antagonized the teen Emanuel McKinney.Cardonick denies antagonizing McKinney but wouldn't comment further on the neighbor's claims.However, he does say McKinney has been a problem since day one.
/>
